Sumita Sinha
Practice: Ecologic Chartered Architects
Established: 1998
City: London
Country: United Kingdom
www.ecologicarchitects.com
[email protected]
Sumita Sinha is an architect with her own practice, Eco=logic. Sumita has worked as an architect and community consultant in India, France, Spain and the UK. She sits on a number of panels advising on education, design and sustainability and is the MA course leader at London Metropolitan University and has taught at universities in the UK and abroad. She has published in the fields of design, employment practices and community planning. Sumita is the founder of Architects For Change, the Equality Forum for British Architects and past Chair of Women In Architecture. Sumita's awards include the UIA:UNESCO
International award, Marley Environmental Initiatives award, and National Training award. She received a Women In Business award in 2002 and the Atkins Inspire Award in 2008. Sumita founded Charushila, a charity, promoting sustainable development around the world.
Ecologic Chartered Architects
Small Projects
Small projects are a useful way of stitching ecological concerns into the urban fabric. The small projects by Ecological Chartered Architects are diverse in nature - from domestic extensions, offices, school and community buildings to moveable 'pods'. Each project has been carefully designed to make the best use of energy, materials and products. Many of these projects have been selected for exhibitions as part of best practice in ecological design.
| How does diversity of people reveal itself at work? | Diversity reveals itself through expression of design, words, choice of projects, ways of working and clients. Some think diversity means working with the same ethnic group that one comes from. I disagree - for me, diversity is about choices and the freedom to express those choices. Diversity is about the kind of work we do and the work practices we undertake. Diversity is about being creative with our lives and expression. |
| Who are your role models who inspire you? | People who inspire me have to have consistently demonstrated their commitment to the work they have chosen to do and made a difference to the lives of others. So here goes, in no particular order and by no means exhaustive - Mahatma Gandhi, Arundhati Roy, Ryan Hreljac, Daisaku Ikeda, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, Josei Toda, Miles Davies, Aung SanSuu Kyi, my father - Rasamay Sinha, Geoffrey Bawa, Laurie Baker, John Bird, Trevor Bayliss, Ravi Shankar, Nerina Pellot, Helen Keller, Nelson Mandela and Neil Hannon. |
| What do you find most rewarding in your area of work? | I like to find diverse ways of working and designing and putting them into practice. My most rewarding work occurs in the 'a-ha' moment when something I have been thinking or working on works on site and with people. I also like to connect opposites or divergent things together - whether in design or work practices. I feel that this makes my design process richer. I also like writing about this and teach this way of working to my students. |